


Alterations

by Tiikeria



Series: Care for Me? [19]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-28
Updated: 2014-06-28
Packaged: 2018-02-06 15:12:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1862451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tiikeria/pseuds/Tiikeria
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes, we all need a little reminder kept close.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Alterations

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, this, I guess, is part 3 of the A Line in the Sand Arc of this story. Major thanks to Chewy for planting this idea in my head a long time ago. It took this long to get written. Hope y’all enjoy~! [Disclaimer: I have never done this before, so I have no fucking clue if I’m right about it.]

"You sure about this, buddy? You can still back out," Geoff took in the nervous stance of the British man next to him, eyeing his hands as Gavin pulled and tugged on them, just for something to do, "I’m not going to think any less of you, you know, if you do decide not to do it."

"No. No, I want to do it. I just…does it hurt really bad?" Gavin glanced at Geoff out of the corner of his eye, feeling the weight of Geoff’s hand on his shoulder. 

"I’m not going to lie, it does hurt at first. It’s not too horrible, but it will hurt."

A thoughtful nod followed his words, Gavin returning to looking straight ahead at the door in front of them, “Let’s get this over with.”

To say Geoff had been surprised when the Brit had come to him one night, looking like he didn’t know if he wanted to ask or not, and told Geoff he wanted to get a tattoo was the understatement of the century. To his knowledge, Gavin had never wanted a tattoo; knowing Gavin was hiding the design made it slightly worse. He said he had his reasons, and that Geoff could see it when it was done, but that didn’t stop him from trying to find out beforehand. Geoff’s joke of Gavin getting his face on his back hadn’t gone over too well, though Geoff himself found it hilarious.

But now, here they were, outside the place Geoff himself went to for his ink, hand on the Lad’s shoulder as the man gripped the piece of paper with the design in a white-knuckled fist. Gavin had managed to tell him that it was nothing big or gaudy; it was pretty simple. It had to be to fit around the scrawny man’s wrist, though those were the only details he knew about the tattoo itself, so he was more than a little curious to find out just what his imported son was planning on permanently placing on his body. 

Stepping in, Geoff greeted the artist like an old friend, explaining the situation with Gavin, as it had seemed like the young man had gone mute in the face of future pain, including the part where Geoff wasn’t allowed to see the design until it was on the Lad’s skin. Warmly, the artist, who introduced himself as Nick to the younger man, smiled and quietly took the sheet from the Brit’s hands, studying the design, nodding approvingly at whatever it was. Geoff watched as Nick took Gavin aside, assuming the man was asking him a couple questions about the design, and if he had any allergies that might be a problem, a standard procedure he was sure. The one question that he did overhear, though, was if Gavin had wanted Geoff to sit with him while he got the tattoo. A smile graced his face at the quick, furious nod Gavin gave the artist, provoking a laugh from Nick.

“Alright, guys, come on back. And Geoff, no peeking, you asshole. You’re here to keep the kid from crying,” the easy teasing that was thrown Geoff’s way was pretty much the basis of their relationship of client and professional. The man had talent, along with a great sense of humor, which was the main reason for Geoff returning time after time; if anyone could ink Gavin’s wrist, and do it right, it was Nick. 

“You’re a fucking killjoy, dude. He’s so fucking tightlipped about the tattoo that I can’t help but be curious. I mean, if he’s getting my face, I wanna make sure he has a good pose.”

“Shut your bloody mouth, Geoff,” Gavin huffed playfully, though the slight shakiness in his voice wasn’t missed by the older man, who simply snorted and ruffled Gavin’s hair, much to the Lad’s annoyance.

“When have I ever listened to you?”

“God, you two either sound like a married couple, or a teenager with the most chill dad on Earth. How does Griffon stay sane?”

“Millie,” Geoff laughed, flopping down in the spare seat beside the chair Gavin would be settled in, the Brit sitting ramrod straight, still messing with his fingers, and Geoff had to suppress the urge to slap the man’s hands away from each other. 

“Shoulda figured as much. Now, Gavin, you want it facing you, or facing away? And the inside of your wrist, right?”

“Facing towards me, if you could. And, yeah, inside,” Geoff felt pride swell in his chest as Gavin put on a brave face, giving Nick a half-smile, though he looked like he was still waiting for the worst. Prep seemed to fly by, Nick and Geoff falling into easy banter and questions about family, catching up with each other, Gavin occasionally piping up to add an embarrassing detail on Geoff’s part, or to defend himself from Geoff’s own embarrassing additions.

“Alright, kid, tell me if it gets to be too much, alright? Or if something doesn’t feel right. Last thing I want is for you to be in horrible pain or pass out on me. Crying, I’m used to. Mostly from Geoff.”

“Fuck you, I never cried!”

“Uh-huh. Sure you didn’t. Your eyes were just watery that day. Allergies, right?” Gavin chuckled at the sight of an incredibly annoyed Geoff, the man huffing and crossing his arms in front of him; silently, Gavin mentally filed the fact away for future use as blackmail or for teasing the man in a Let’s Play, “Ready, kid?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

It wasn’t nearly as bad as Gavin had been expecting; it hurt, yes, but it wasn’t an unbearable pain. In fact, as it went on, it seemed to fade to a dull ache as he pushed himself to focus on Geoff, his father-figure talking to him about their various Minecraft ideas, brainstorming about ever crazier games, slipping into laughing about past events, Ryan losing his mind in another video, and Ray’s inherent lack of common knowledge. 

It was actually over before he knew it, a relieved smile gracing his face, eyes trailing over the words that now adorned the red skin of his wrist. Perfect. Geoff leaned over finally laying eyes on the design Gavin had coveted for so long, raising an eyebrow at the unfamiliar words in a language he felt was only slightly familiar. He glanced at Gavin, asking for an explanation, but received none, Geoff resolving to ask once they returned to the SUV. Nick wrapped it, giving Gavin instructions on how to care for the addition in the coming days, which Geoff confirmed that he would be making sure the Lad followed the instructions to a T, considering the Lad’s infamously bad memory.

Payment was exchanged, thanks were said, and the pair returned to Geoff’s vehicle, both quiet, air heavy with Geoff’s unspoken question. Halfway home, Gavin finally started to speak, voice level as he kept his eyes on the road, leaning back in the seat.

“ _Piegato, non spezzato._ Bent, not broken,” Geoff gave the Lad a sideways look, surprise etching his features, “My grandfather wrote me a letter after he found out I had epilepsy, all in Italian. One of the last lines was ‘Remember,  _mio piccolo uccellino_ , you are not broken; bent, not broken.

“When I decided I needed a reminder that I’m not as minged up as I think I am, I pulled out the letter, scanned it, and made that line bigger. That’s what I gave Nick, the scan of the ‘bent, not broken’ part in my grandfather’s handwriting. That way…I could always look at it, and remember.”

“That’s why you got me saying it, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, I just…”

“You feel attached to that sentence, and it makes you feel better, right?” Geoff’s voice was kind as he glanced over to the British man in the passenger seat, catching the relieved smile and the nod that Gavin gave him; Geoff understood, and that’s all Gavin could ask for. 

A chuckle escaped Geoff as he thought of one thing they hadn’t considered before leaving home that morning, Gavin giving him a bemused look in return, “Neither one of us told Griffon you were doing this.”

“Oh, bollocks.”

“It was nice knowing you, buddy.”

“Sod off, Geoff.”


End file.
